In its annual “America’s Best Colleges” issue for 2010, U.S. News & World Report has once again placed Rider University in the top tier of its Master’s Universities – North category.  Rider rose this year to No. 30, up five slots from last year’s poll. The “America’s Best Colleges 2010” rankings were released on August 20.

In addition to the U.S. News rankings, The Princeton Review has named Rider among its “Best 371 Colleges” in the nation for 2010. Both publications have ranked Rider favorably in their respective surveys for several years.

“We are delighted to see that these national publications have again validated what we have always known – that Rider University is one of the top-tier institutions in this region,” said Rider President Mordechai Rozanski. “This acknowledgement of the quality of our programs is a testament to the talent and dedication of our faculty and staff, who are committed to our students’ success.

“While these rankings are a popular measure of an institution’s reputation,” Rozanski continued, “ultimately, one of the best measures of the quality and fit of a university is a personal visit to meet the faculty and students and experience the student-centered character of the learning community. This is where we excel.”

Rider continues to welcome a large number of prospective students and their families to campus, and has seen applications to the University increase by 72 percent over the last five years. Many students who choose to enroll become leaders in their respective fields of study, garnering acclaim both nationally and beyond. In fact, in 2009 alone, Rider students have earned the following significant distinctions:

• Ericka Kriedel ’09, an English major and a captain of Rider’s 2009 swimming & diving team, earned a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Thailand. She became the third Rider student to earn a Fulbright in the last two years.
• Representing Lebanon, the Rider Model United Nations team again captured the prestigious Outstanding Delegation award – the highest distinction a team can receive – at the conclusion of the National Model United Nations Conference,  competing against 300 delegations from American and international universities. 
• At the National Broadcasting Society’s annual conference, the Rider University Network earned a share of first place in the Video Sports Program category, and claimed six awards in all. 
• Patty Wittenburg ’09 became the first Rider student ever to have a film screened at the world-famous Cannes International Film Festival.  
• Vincent Padalino ’09 won first place in the New Jersey Student Entrepreneur of the Year category at the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards, sponsored by Edison Venture Fund. 
• A team of three Rider students earned second-place national honors at the Small Business Institute Association’s 33rd Annual National Conference. 

• A team of four students from the College of Business Administration placed third in the finals of the Johnson & Johnson Business Case Competition. 

Rider’s external accreditations by Middle States, AACSB International, NCATE, NASM, ACS, CACREP and NASP also affirm its status as a top-tier University. To learn more about these accreditations, please click here www.rider.edu/academics.